Chiaroscuro (English pronunciation: /kiˌɑːrəˈskjʊəroʊ/; Italian: [kjarosˈkuːro]; Italian for light-dark) in art is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition.

Our next shared anthology is to be a collection of urban fantasy/magical realism, shade of light and dark blending together. For it I shall be collecting contributions that fall into one of two categories:

Light:

Even within the gritty, urban streets, beauty can be found. A daisy, poking its head from a crack in the concrete, a bird, nesting in the eaves of a business’s balcony. Children, playing games of make-believe in the gardens or along the river, tales that sometimes come true. The fairies at the bottom of the garden. There is magic to be found everywhere, in the everyday, and it is too often forgotten in the grim and grit of modern life. Tales for this section should be of a light-hearted, gentler nature. This does not mean that they cannot have elements of darkness, merely that the overall feeling should be one of hope. Bittersweet is also encouraged. Should have a happy ending, or if not entirely happy, at least the sort of ending that leaves the reader feel satisfied and fulfilled.

Dark and gritty, where monsters lurk in the shadows, oppression and rebellion. Where friendships are fragile and challenges feel insurmountable. Tales for this section should be heavy, gritty, lure the reader in, keep them glued to the page. They can still be funny, possibly even the sort of funny that leaves the reader feeling faintly uncomfortable with themselves for finding it amusing. Can be disconcerting, uncomfortable. Should also contain some elements of light and hope. Can have either a moderately happy ending, a tragic ending or anywhere in between. Should not be too dark and twisted, please keep it to a level that you would be comfortable for your (real or hypothetical) teenage children to read.

Possible theme ideas: modern-day retold Grimm fairy tales; ghosts/vampires/demons and other creatures of the night; rebellion against an oppressor …

Setting: A city or other urban environment in Earth, modern day + or – 100 years (so from 1915-2115). Can be alternate-reality (ie: steampunk, Germany won the war etc); hidden world (there are vampires and demons amongst us); discovery (there is more to this world than what we believe); utopia; dystopia… if you are unsure, feel free to ask.

* please no excessive violence, overly-descriptive sex scenes or ridiculous amounts of swearing (the latter should be used to enhance/show the character’s levels of tension, not act as a form of punctuation).

Story should stand alone and contain all the relevant story-telling attributes: conflict, rising action, climax, falling action. Remember those oft-repeated cliches: “Arrive late, leave early” and “show, not tell“. If you need advice, or struggle with these, come to the facebook page and ask for assistance.

Even the lighter stories must have some sort of conflict/problem for the character/s to deal with.

Ideally I would like first (polished) drafts by the 1st April. It will then be read through by our editing committee. Not all stories will necessarily be accepted. We reserve the right to reject your story or request an edit. To this end, we will offer a short critique for every submission if requested.

We cannot pay you. Proceeds from this anthology will go to help support the Christchurch Writers’ Guild and help us to plan some events that you are welcome to participate in (should you happen to live in New Zealand). We can, and will, give you a free copy of the ebook and offer you reduced rates for printed copies, should you wish to purchase any for friends or family. You will also be given a full page biography, including a chance to link your website or promote your other titles, within the book.

The book will be independently printed via Amazon’s CreateSpace program and through Kindle Direct Publishing.

Next Gathering

Join Talk Write from 7pm at Merivale McDonaldsFebruary 12th, 2018

About Us:

The Christchurch Writers' Guild are an active community of authors - published and unpublished, new and practiced - who strive to encourage and support one another with regular gatherings, write-ins, workshops and critiques both online and off.